Electric light fixture



April 5, 1938. E. c. GODFREY ELECTRIC LIGHT FIXTURE Filed March 2, 1936Pan/6w 5m ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 5 1938 ELEc'rRIo LIGHT FIXTURE Edward 0. Godfrey, Detroit,Mich.

Application March 2, 1936, Serial No. 66,533

4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in electric light fixtures andparticularly to that type of light fixture wherein a light bulb issuspended by anelectric light cord from an elevated support and whichcord is slidably adjustable lengthwise to position the bulb at difierentheights depending below the support. 7

An object is to provide a light fixture of the character described whichis simple, inexpensive, and presents an attractive appearance.

Another object is to provide a light fixture wherein the cord. may bereadily adjusted to position the light at the desiredelevation and thecord is releasably held at the position to which it i is adjusted. I

In a preferred modification of my invention I provide a bracket backwhich is adapted to be hung upon the wall of a room and which isprovided with a supporting arm that extends forwardly from the back. Anelectric cord extends over the arm and through the back. A bulb issecured to the end of the cord that hangs down from the end of the arm.The opposite end of the cord passes through a recess in the rear surfaceof the back to a point of connection with'a source of electric current.The cord is slidable over the arm to adjust the height of the lightbulb. Means is provided to retain the cord at any position to which itmay be adjusted as to height. This means permits easy and quick slidableadjustment of the light cord for varying the height of the bulb.

Various additional advantages and meritorious features of my inventionwill more fully appear from the following description, appended claims,and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of my invention with thebracket back in section,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a fragment of the structure exhibiting amodified form of my invention with the bracket back in section on thesame line as in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a fragment of the structure shown in Fig.2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. l.

I have shown my invention as embodied in a side wall lighting fixturewherein there is a bracket back [0 of any suitable conventional designsecured to a side wall in any suitable well known manner. The bracketback here shown is broken away and the upper broken off end may beprovided with a part adapted to be secured to the wall. This bracketback is provided with an arm 12 here shown as channeled in crosssectionas indicated inFig. 5. This arm extends through'an aperture M inthe bracket back and is secured tothe rear face thereof. As shown, thearm is of arcuate formation and is provided with a bend [6 where itextendsthrough the aperture l4 in the bracket back as shown in Figs. 1and 2. A light cord l8 supporting a bulb 20 extends over the arm throughthe channel thereof and through the aperture M in the bracket back intothe recessed rear face of the backfrom where it may extend to a floorplug or a plug in the wall directly in the rear of the back.

It is apparent that the arm need not be of a channel shape.

It might be tubular or of any suitable shape to support the cord.Thecord is slidable over the-arm and through the aperture in the back sothat the light bulb may be adjusted to different heights of suspensionbelow the outer end of the arm.

As shown in Fig. 1 the aperture I4 through the bracket back is so formedthat its upper edge is spaced but aslight distance above its lower edgeso that the electric cord l8 when it is stretched from its point ofsupport on the arm through the aperture [4 and passed over the loweredge of such aperture is held by the upper edge of the aperture to adistorted shape so that it snugly engages the lower edge of the apertureand the bracket arm. In other words, the upper edge of the aperture I4engages the cord between its points of contact with the lower edge ofthe aperture and the bracket arm and holds it snugly against such pointsof contact so that the frictional resistance to its lengthwise slidableadjustment is suflicient to retain the cord in any position to which itmay be slidably adjusted.

In this construction the cord is frictionally engaged with the supportat three points, one on the arm above the aperture in the bracket back,a second on the rear face of the bracket back or lower edge of theaperture through the back and a third above and between these first twoholding the cord thereagainst. The cord is stretched spaced above thearm between the two lower points of support and may be readily graspedat such spaced point for withdrawal in either direction for slidableadjustment.

The

frictional contact. The cord is deflected by the upper edge of theaperture downwardly forming what might be termed a three pointfrictional lock therefor.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 it is preferable to use a rubbercovered cord rather than a silk covered cord in order that thefrictional resistance may be such as to retain the cord securely atadjusted positions.

In Figs 2, 3, and 4 I have shown a modified form of construction whereinthere is a spring clamp 22 secured at its upper end as at 24 in anysuitable manner to the rear face of the bracket back. This clamp holdsthe cord against lug or shoulder 25 although the aperture 14 in thiscase has a greater dimension than the aperture shown in Fig. 1. Theclamp holds the cord against the lug 25 frictionally so that slippage ofthe cordl lengthwise is prevented.

To release the cord for lengthwise adjustment I provide a push buttonelement such as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. This element has a button orknob 26 provided with a shank 28 which extends through a passageway inthe bracket and terminates inside of the bracket back in a pair ofspaced apart arms 30. These arms engage the spring clamp 22. When thebutton is moved rearwardly-the spring clamp is actuated to release-thecordfor slidable adjustment. Upon release of thebutton the spring clampforces it out to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and the cord isheld frictionally against the bracket back lug 24 or rather against theoverlying portion of the arm l6 which is attached thereto.

- With a relatively smooth fabric covered cord when the spring isretracted by operation of the pushbutton the weight of the lamp andshade will cause the lamp to move downwardly. It may be elevated throughmanual movement of the cord in the opposite direction. The spring clamp22 may be extended below the lug 25 and provided with adetent 23 belowthe lug 25 to deflect the cord over the lower end'of lug- 25 holding itsecurely frictionally against slippage.

What I claim:

1. In a light fixture a' bracket back, an arouate channeled cordsupporting arm secured at one endto the back and projecting forwardlytherefrom, said back provided witha cord opening therethroughsuper-imposing the pointof securement of. the arm to the back, anelectric cord extending slidably through the channel of the arm andthrough the opening in the back, saidback provided with a partprojecting toward the arm and frictionally engaging said cordadjacentthe opening through the back to releasably hold the cord at any positionto which it may be slidably adjusted.

2. In a light fixture, a bracket back having a recessed rear face, anarcuate channeled cord supporting arm attached at one end to the backand projecting forwardly therefrom, said back provided with a cordopening therethrough into 'its recessed rear face super-imposing thepoint of attachment of the arm to the back, an electric cord extendingslidably through the channel of the arm and through the opening in theback and into the recess in the rear face of the back and. over a pointof frictional engagement on the rear face of the back, a flat springcarried by the'back urging said cord yieldingly frictionally againstsaid point of frictional engagement, and a push button element carriedby the back and movable therethrough provided with a pair of armsembracing the cord and contacting the fiat spring, said push buttonelement being perable to actuate thespring to facilitate slidablemovement of the cord.

3. In a light fixture, a base member, a cord supporting arm carriedthereby said base provided witha cord opening therethrough adjacent tothe point of attachment of the arm to the base, a light cord carried bythe arm extending slidably through said opening and over the arm, a flatspring secured to'the base and urging the cordfrictionally thereagainstto hold it releasably at adjusted slidable positions to which it maybe'moved over the arm.

4. In alight fixture a bracket back having a cord opening therethrough,a cord supporting arm secured at one end to'the back below said openingand extending forwardly of the opening andupwardly in-front of saidopening, an electric light cord extending slidably over the arm andthrough the cord opening in the back where by the cord is stretchedspaced above the arm from apoi-nt of engagement with the arm spacedforwardly and above the opening to a point of engagement with the backadjacent to the bottom of the opening, saidback provided with a partholding the cord downwardly between said point'of engagement with-thearm and the point of engagement with'the rear face of the back.

EDWARD c. GODFREY.

